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Rocky Mountain high in Denver

DENVER–Anonymous only a few weeks ago, the Colorado Rockies are now writing one of the most compelling stories in baseball history.

Their 6-4 victory last night over the Arizona Diamondbacks gave them a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series.

It was also their seventh playoff win in a row. The Rockies will face either the Boston Red Sox or Cleveland Indians in their first World Series appearance.

Colorado looked tight at the outset, falling behind a desperate Arizona squad early. But a six-run fourth-inning outburst, capped by a towering Matt Holliday home run, sealed the victory. All the runs came across with two outs. Holliday, who hit homers the last two nights, was later named the series MVP.

Arizona put a late scare up the Rockies fans in the eighth. Chris Snyder's three-run homer brought the D-Backs within two. The tying run twice came to the plate in the ninth, but closer Manny Corpas was able to sneak away with the save. Fittingly, the final out came as Eric Byrnes attempted to slide into first base on a close ground ball out.

It was Byrnes who claimed before game three that his team had "outplayed" the Rockies. He was hitless then hitless in the next two games.

In the end, Colorado outscored Arizona 18-8. The D-Backs, famed for their team speed, couldn't manage a single stolen base. There was no comparison in the starting pitching. In every aspect of the game, the Rockies dominated the team with the best regular season record in the NL.

Despite the October chill, Denver was blazing with playoff fervour at Coors Field. The nine days before the beginning of the World Series on Oct. 24 promise to be one long tailgate in the mile-high city.

The victory was Colorado's 21st in 22 games. The seven straight post-season wins matches the record set by the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.

"This is a special moment in the career of every man involved in this," Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said of the streak. "This may never happen again."

Famously a team of underachieving bashers who thrived in the homer-friendly altitude of Denver, the Rockies have stiffened the spine around a still impressive line-up. A homegrown core of budding pitchers can tie down an opponent. Their young defence can bury them.

The calm Colorado continues to show despite its youth borders on eerie.
"Every game (in the streak) could have been the one that kept us out of the playoffs," 26-year-old Vancouverite and staff ace Jeff Francis reflected. "We had to win 13 out of 14 just to get to a playoff game. That scares you just to think about it."

Much of Colorado's poise originates with Hurdle, a gruff journeyman who has weathered harsh criticism in Colorado since becoming manager in 2002. Locals now refer to the team as 'Hurdle's Heroes'.

"I'm very proud of (the team.) And I will be throughout," Hurdle said.
The streak has been marked by a long list of magical moments:

A walkoff home run by Todd Helton to complete a scrappy comeback against the Dodgers on Sept. 18th; a one-run victory sparked by MVP candidate Holliday against the D-Backs on the last day of the regular season; stinging future hall-of-famer Trevor Hoffman for three runs in extra innings to win a one-game, winner-take-all playoff with San Diego.

In the post-season, every day seems to throw up a new Colorado hero. Francis and rookie Ubaldo Jimenez shut down the highest scoring team in the NL to sweep Philadelphia in the division series.

Hurdle wisely pulled his team off the field after fans began littering it with debris in the first game in Arizona, a mental tipping point.

Willy Taveras walked home with the winning run in an extra-inning NLCS duel, while former back-up catcher Yorvit Torrealba powered Colorado to victory on Sunday with a late three-run blast.

Last night, pinch hitter Seth Smith's dying fly into shallow left field cashed two runs and started the big fourth inning. Smith was added to the roster the day the streak started.

Much will now depend on Francis, who is already penciled in to start the first game of the World Series. Home field advantage belongs to whichever team emerges from the American League.

Before they face either the Indians or the Red Sox, the enemy for Colorado is inaction. The first game of the World Series is not scheduled until Oct. 24th. The nine-day layoff is the longest in baseball playoff history.

Last year, the Detroit Tigers stormed into the World Series and then waited seven days to face the undervalued St. Louis Cardinals. The long rest proved fatal as Detroit fell in five games.

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